Gluten-Free Diet, what does it mean? | Blackfriars

Gluten is a family of proteins found in grains like wheat, rye, spelt and barley. Therefore, a gluten-free diet is a diet that excludes gluten.  It was designed to help people who suffer from Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.

On average, about 1 in 100 people have Celiac disease. Although, celiac disease is not fatal it still can cause a host of negative symptoms, like diarrhoea, bloating, gas, fatigue and many others. But, after a few weeks of treatment the symptoms will be resolved.

Products that are Gluten-Free:

• Meats
• Fish, seafood
• Eggs
• Chicken & Turkey
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Nuts & Seeds
• Rice
• Potatoes & Corn

Gluten-Free doesn’t have to be difficult. Fortunately, due to rising popularity and interest in gluten-free diet there are a lot of recipes and blogs that are dedicated to living happily with gluten-free.

How to follow a gluten-free diet

You have to get used to reading food labels to find out if a product is gluten-free. On an ingredient label you should look out for mentions of wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, kamut or any other grain. They often will be highlighted.

Be cautious of cross contamination to minimise the risk, as even a tiny bit of gluten can cause negative symptoms. Make sure you wash down kitchen surfaces before use and use different butters and jams to minimise the spread of crumbs.

When visiting your friends or family, bring a gluten-free dish to share so that you’ll know there is something safe for you to eat. And, of course, always have a gluten-free snack in your bag so that you don’t go hungry.

Gluten-Free Baking

Gluten is a very important element in baking as it helps baked goods stick together and form that bubbly structure. That been said, you have to replace gluten with something else to make sure your baked goods won’t fall apart. You can use a mixture of chia, psyllium and flax; xanthan or guar gum.

Also, gluten-free baked goods don’t last as long as their wheat cousins. Therefore, store them at room temperature or freeze them as soon as they are completely cool.

We understand how hard it can be to follow a gluten-free diet and having gluten-free ready snacks on hand. Shop our selection of delicious gluten-free products readily available for delivery direct to your door: Cocoa, Cranberry & Orange Porridge Oat Bar; LumberJack Ginger, Orange & Dark Chocolate Flavour; LumberJack Vanilla Flavour Fudge With Chia & Hemp Seed; LumberJack Yoghurt Flavour & Mixed Berries; Merry Berry Porridge Oat Bar; Seed Sensation Porridge Oat Bar.